Public vs. Private Schools

Recent findings from a study commissioned by the Center on Education Policy contradict a large body of researchand conventional wisdomthat private school students outperform public school students.

The study compared low-income urban students in public high schools with their peers who attended private schools. Controlling for the effects of family background characteristics, the results showed that students from public schools were just as likely to go to college as students from private schools. Parental involvement was a significant factor influencing college and career success among low-income inner-city youthnot whether they went to public or private school.

What do you think? How does the type of school (public or private) influence a low-income student's chance for success in the long run? How much do parents matter?